I just finished a new sampled piano, a 1954 Baldwin parlor grand, available for UVI Workstation / UVI Falcon. I've included a fully functional demo version for you to try - it's got all the same features as the full version, but with the addition of a not-too-annoying reminder tone every 15 seconds.
Check it out at http://wholesounds.com or on KVR at https://www.kvraudio.com/product/1954-b ... sounds-llc
The piano was recorded from four mic perspectives using vintage condenser mics and new ribbon mics (Neumann KM84, AKG 414Buls, AEA r84 and AEA r88), through D.W. Fearn and Fredenstein preamps.
Included in the user interface are eq and compression modules for each of the four mic perspectives and the master channel, convolution reverbs built from the piano's unique sonic characteristics, key release samples, sustain pedal resonance, velocity control, polyphony control, and a save/recall feature that allows you to save ALL the controllable settings and recall them within the open instrument.
The piano itself is a mid-sized "parlor grand", hitting a nice sweet spot between the sometimes unnecessarily imposing sound of a full concert grand and the thinner tone of a baby grand or upright. The piano has a very impressive low end, with a great deal of sparkle up top.
By blending the mic perspectives, you can really shape the tone naturally into what you need for a particular project, and the added control of eq & compression open up a really expansive sonic palette.
I would love to get some feedback on the thing!! Please feel free to download the demo, and let me know first impressions!
Thanks.
sampled Baldwin Parlor Grand available from Whole Sounds
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 36 posts since 6 Apr, 2017 from Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 36 posts since 6 Apr, 2017 from Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA
Some quick samples...
close mics - https://static.kvraudio.com/files/3312/close_mics.mp3
mid mics - https://static.kvraudio.com/files/3312/mid_mics.mp3
far mics - https://static.kvraudio.com/files/3312/far_mics.mp3
blend - https://static.kvraudio.com/files/3312/ ... ar_mix.mp3
close mics - https://static.kvraudio.com/files/3312/close_mics.mp3
mid mics - https://static.kvraudio.com/files/3312/mid_mics.mp3
far mics - https://static.kvraudio.com/files/3312/far_mics.mp3
blend - https://static.kvraudio.com/files/3312/ ... ar_mix.mp3
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 36 posts since 6 Apr, 2017 from Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA
Give it a shot and let me know what you think!
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- KVRian
- 1367 posts since 30 Jul, 2013
Congrats glad someone finally did a commercially sampled Baldwin. Though you know you wrecked my pickup line at bars that I'm the only living human to have ever sampled a Baldwin! It was an oddly unsuccessful pickup line.
Do it for Kontakt and I'll even buy it.
Do it for Kontakt and I'll even buy it.
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- Banned
- 57 posts since 4 Aug, 2017
Sounds awesome 
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 36 posts since 6 Apr, 2017 from Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA
bigcat1969 - Ha! Sorry about the pickup line! Odd that it didn't work that well...
Yeah, I'm familiar with your Baldwin sample sets! And I'm also surprised there aren't more Baldwins out there. Growing up, Baldwin was right up there with Steinway, quality-wise.
I do have another set of Baldwin samples in the can (12 velocity levels, stacatto, unda corda) recorded on location that I ought to release in the next few months, and am working on sampling my studio piano again, but going for broke with a possible 20 velocity levels plus the works. (Now that I know what I'm doing.)
But, unfortunately, no Kontakt releases! I started this as a Kickstarter, and promised all kinds of different releases at the outset, but soon realized I had to rein in my ambitions. But if you PM me, I'd be happy to get you an NFR for the UVI Workstation version.
Yeah, I'm familiar with your Baldwin sample sets! And I'm also surprised there aren't more Baldwins out there. Growing up, Baldwin was right up there with Steinway, quality-wise.
I do have another set of Baldwin samples in the can (12 velocity levels, stacatto, unda corda) recorded on location that I ought to release in the next few months, and am working on sampling my studio piano again, but going for broke with a possible 20 velocity levels plus the works. (Now that I know what I'm doing.)
But, unfortunately, no Kontakt releases! I started this as a Kickstarter, and promised all kinds of different releases at the outset, but soon realized I had to rein in my ambitions. But if you PM me, I'd be happy to get you an NFR for the UVI Workstation version.
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- KVRian
- 1367 posts since 30 Jul, 2013
Thanks man. Yeah I thought that pickup line would work better... I'll have to work on one about coming to my place to look at my orchestral samples, that will do it!
Glad we have a Baldwin sampler in our midst. Shoot 12 velocity layers is impressive but 20 wow! I could only go 4 and even that was inconsistent. Pick it folks, Baldwins are cool!
Yeah it gets messy with different platforms. I think I've spent what a yearish doing releases of VSCO2 for just Maize VSTi and Kontakt. I don't think people realize how much goes into each release. Never got into UVI myself, but I know its a solid and popular platform and I think safer from that sad fact of life for all devs, pirates.
Glad we have a Baldwin sampler in our midst. Shoot 12 velocity layers is impressive but 20 wow! I could only go 4 and even that was inconsistent. Pick it folks, Baldwins are cool!
Yeah it gets messy with different platforms. I think I've spent what a yearish doing releases of VSCO2 for just Maize VSTi and Kontakt. I don't think people realize how much goes into each release. Never got into UVI myself, but I know its a solid and popular platform and I think safer from that sad fact of life for all devs, pirates.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 36 posts since 6 Apr, 2017 from Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA
The current Baldwin Parlor Grand set consists of eight velocity levels. That's the best I could do using my own piano-playing fingers, and even that was a little tough at times! But the next set of samples in the can is 12 levels, and I accomplished that with the help of gravity. I built a fulcrum, like one of those drinking bird toys, that would strike the key at different completely predictable velocities depending on what height it was released from! Since gravity and mass don't vary, it worked great. But it was big and clumsy, and if I plan on continuing on to do more location recordings (like the one pictured below), I needed something easier to truck around.
So, now I've replaced the fulcrum with a linear DC motor set up to strike the key. The higher the voltage applied, the greater the force. By feeding the robofinger varying voltages at specific levels for discrete time periods from the computer, I end up with samples recorded at uniform intervals of uniform lengths, making the editing and organization phase that much easier. Really happy with the way it's working out!
So, now I've replaced the fulcrum with a linear DC motor set up to strike the key. The higher the voltage applied, the greater the force. By feeding the robofinger varying voltages at specific levels for discrete time periods from the computer, I end up with samples recorded at uniform intervals of uniform lengths, making the editing and organization phase that much easier. Really happy with the way it's working out!
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- KVRer
- 12 posts since 17 Nov, 2017
Parlor! Nice, haven't seen any sampled ones out there before. Definitely checking out the demo!
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- KVRian
- 858 posts since 14 Sep, 2004
That's quite a device you have sitting beside your piano. Can it double as a catapult? (I purchased the Baldwin. Very, very good, although I haven't had much of a chance to play it. Ah, the holidays...)
